


Commander of the Vessel Falls for His Attractive Lieutenant

by MagicMage



Series: Joshua Shepard [9]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: First Meetings, M/M, non-canon Shepard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-26 06:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2641697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicMage/pseuds/MagicMage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first meeting between Joshua Shepard and Kaidan Alenko before the Normandy shakedown run. In which Joshua basically falls in love at first sight, and Kaidan has no idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Commander of the Vessel Falls for His Attractive Lieutenant

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request by [mister-vega](http://mister-vega.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. This is part two of the request, but I did it as part one.
> 
> The other part is a High School AU, in which they meet and whomever asks whomever out. Which will probably be a bit later, a bit longer, and also not tonight because...Dragon Age Inquisition just came out. (Sorry!)

Kaidan Alenko.

He’d seen his name on the list of staff for the Normandy’s shakedown run and shrugged him off. A staff lieutenant, someone who he probably wouldn’t speak with very often because, honestly, he wasn’t even sure he’d be on the Normandy very long. It was a shakedown run, making sure that the ship ran properly. He didn’t even really understand why he had to be there, but if the Alliance needed him he’d be there.

Joshua Shepard had just graduated from N7 training when he’d been assigned as the Commander of the SSV Normandy, the newest ship of the Alliance Military. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do a good job of it yet, with his new rank and expectations. Everyone seemed to think he was some kind of Super Alliance Soldier because he was an N7 operative.

Standing in the line-up, listening to Admiral Hackett making his speech about turian and human innovation, and watching as he passed the baton off to Captain Anderson, a man who he admired—The reason he’d joined the Alliance, he caught sight of Kaidan Alenko.

At first he wasn’t really sure it was him. There were a lot of people in the line-up, some people he’d probably never speak to, but then he turned, made eye contact with him, and smiled. Joshua felt his heart squeeze. His first thought was, ‘ _He has a really cute scar on his lip,_ ’ his second thought was, ‘ _God damn it,_ no _, you stop that right now!_ ’

He returned the smile and then, rather than let the man see how red his face had gone, he turned back to Hackett and his speech.

About forty minutes later, after formalities and press moments were over, Kaidan Alenko approached him as Captain Anderson left him to speak to the Spectre who would apparently be on board with them for the shakedown run.

“Good to meet you Commander Shepard, I’ve heard great things,” he said, saluting and then extending his hand after he’d returned the salute. Cool as you please, standing before him without flinching. He’d met others on their ship who prattled on or stumbled over their words like they were nervous in the presence of him.

Joshua took his hand and shook it. “Lieutenant, I’ve heard things about you as well,” he agreed, always trying to steer others away from the ‘great things’ they’d heard about him. They weren’t great, they were all accidents or tragedies. He noticed Kaidan’s gaze drop to the scars that he knew were on his hands. He wondered what he thought of them, if he thought they were well earned battle scars, or some sort of morbid trophy, but the gaze which came back up to meet him was pleasant.

His eyes were a colour he could only describe as honey-brown, and honest. He immediately liked them.

“Well, the things I’ve done don’t quite live up to your…calibre, but sure, uh, yes sir, I’ve done my best.” Kaidan nodded, keeping eye contact with him. His lips quirked upwards at the side slightly and Joshua’s stomach did a backflip.

Suddenly Joshua didn’t want the man to just be another person on the ship, or to be some staff lieutenant who he never spoke with. He wanted this man to be on equal footing with him. He wanted to be able to call him ‘Kaidan’ and for Kaidan to call him…well whatever the hell he wanted.

 _Dammit_.

“Don’t worry about the formalities when it’s just the two of us, Alenko. Besides, Joker…oh, er, Flight Lieutenant Moreau, is already calling me ‘Shepard’,” he said, despite his better judgement.

Kaidan didn’t even flinch, just seemed to consider it quietly for a moment before nodding. “Okay, yeah…sure, why not? Then you can feel free to call me Kaidan, Shepard, if that’s all right with you.”

Joshua hadn’t quite meant that he wanted Kaidan to call him Shepard, but whatever. It didn’t matter that much. He smiled gently at the man before turning back to the Normandy. She was a beautiful ship, he knew for a fact that Joker had skipped out on the festivities and was already inside.

“It’s odd that they’d have us stand out here looking at her for so long when we’ve already seen the inside,” he commented.

“Well, it’s a good chance for the press to get some good info on her, being part turian in make…besides, _I_ haven’t been inside yet,” Kaidan told him, shrugging one shoulder slightly.

“You haven’t?” Joshua asked, feeling surprised. He had been so sure that everyone had seen inside. He’d been given a tour with Captain Anderson a week before they were scheduled to leave, and Joker had apparently already flown her. When Kaidan shrugged again he added, “Well I guess I have to give you a tour then.”

Kaidan’s lips did that adorable half smile thing again, he had to turn back to the ship to keep himself from staring. Instead he stared at the ship, arms behind his back as Kaidan said, “That would be really great of you Shepard.”

As he stared at the ship he told himself how much trouble he was getting himself into. Commander of the Vessel Falls for His Attractive Lieutenant sounded like the tag line to some terrible extranet porn vid. Disgraced Commander of the Normandy Breaches Alliance Regulations sounded like the next big headline.

And yet, he found he didn’t really care.

“Let’s go now,” he said, turning back to Kaidan and enjoying the look of mild surprise on his face.

“Now?” he asked, brow rising slightly.

“Yeah, Joker’s already on board and you get an early look before we have to pack all of our stuff on and get her ready to leave,” Joshua told him, already heading off to board the ship.

“Are we allowed?”

“Sure, why not?” Probably. He couldn’t quite catch Captain Anderson’s eye, but he was sure it would be fine.

Kaidan caught up to him, walking in step with him for a moment in silence before saying, “You know when I called you ‘sir’ back there you almost flinched.” He gave him an interested look. Joshua noticed that Kaidan was a bit taller than him.

He made a face. “I hate being called ‘sir’, it makes me feel old. At _least_ call me Commander Shepard, or Commander.”

“How old are you anyways? It wasn’t in the file, your file is surprisingly hard to get a hold of,” Kaidan told him. Joshua was impressed that he’d been doing his research, he’d just given a cursory glance at the crew list and read through some of the more interesting files.

“Twenty-five.”

Kaidan stopped dead, and when Joshua turned to look at him he looked absolutely perplexed. He had to fight the urge to laugh, instead he just snickered slightly.

“Yeah, that’s the face everyone else makes too!” he said, to which Kaidan frowned and then looked a bit sheepish.

“Sorry, just…wow.”

“Mm, wow,” Joshua agreed, shrugging his shoulders as they arrived at the door to the airlock on the Normandy. He punched in his access codes and the doors swung open. “Be ready to be amazed,” he told Kaidan. “This ship is a beauty, which Joker won’t stop telling you once you’re introduced.”

They stepped inside and the doors shut behind them, neither of them had noticed Captain Anderson following their path to the ship with a sympathetic look and the slightest shakes of his head.


End file.
